Monday, January 27, 2014

I'm having a blast on the online tour for THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY! Some fabulous, really intelligent, thoughtful blog reviews have also gone live. Check out the Tour Page for links to all the live stops and the reviews.

Some of the most fun I've had is putting together vlogs...Last week, Susan at TheArtofNotGettingPublished observed that Auggie and Gus make art from found objects, and asks what I "found" while writing my books. Here's my answer:

Be sure to check back in on the Tour Page next week, for links to the latest stops!

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Woo-hoo! This just came from my editor at Penguin. Couldn't wait to share this review from THE BULLETIN FOR THE CENTER OF CHILDREN'S BOOK STUDIES:

Auggie
Jones desperately wants to discover her shine, because it seems like
everybody she knows has a talent: her best friend, Lexie, creates
striking hairstyles, neighbor
Irma Jean alters rags into stylish clothing, and classmate Weird Harold
has a remarkable aptitude for facts and figures. Starting at Dickerson
Elementary after her old school closes gives Auggie—named for the
grandfather who takes care of her—the perfect chance
to discover her own hidden talents. Soon, though, Lexie falls under the
spell of resident mean girl Victoria, who makes no attempt to disguise
her disdain for Auggie’s masculine name, her grandfather Gus’ work
(trash hauling), or Serendipity Place, the neighborhood
Auggie has called home all her life. When Victoria and her father, the
head of the town’s newly formed House Beautification Committee, target
Serendipity Place, residents scurry to meet their requirements as best
they can. Determined to save her home, Auggie
finds inspiration in the trash hauled by Grampa Gus and in items donated
by neighbors, and soon pottery shards, vivid glass, and metal
sculptures transform the house’s exterior into a vibrant expression of
the love within its walls. In Auggie, Schindler
creates a spunky, sympathetic character young readers will engage with and enjoy. Though the voice and even elements of the plot are derivative of DiCamillo’s Because of Winn Dixie, the
lively narration is enjoyable, and the diverse
cast of characters (Auggie herself is African American, though many in
her neighborhood are white) brings meaningful messages of community and
self-respect to the fore. Some readers may wish Schindler had provided more detailed descriptions of the sculptures,
but aspiring artists and anyone
else looking for their shine will appreciate this satisfying portrait of
a young girl and her close-knit community.

Monday, January 20, 2014

This is it, folks! The blog tour for THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY starts tomorrow, over at Inkygirl. Also, the very first blog review went live over the weekend, at TheArtofNotGettingPublished. (I'm so often so impressed with the intelligence and thoughtfulness of blog reviews; this one is fantastic. If you're a fan of well-written reviews, be sure to follow Susan at her blog.)

Speaking of lovely reviews, on Goodreads, Darlene Beck-Jacobson (who is part of the
blog tour) had this to say:

“Auggie's
voice is as original as the sculptures she and Gus create, shining and
radiating with love for the people and things in her world. Fresh prose
sparkles and lights up each page. This book makes me want to stand up for
injustice, embrace creativity and make something new from something old. This
book should be on every middle-grade child's reading list.”

I love that Darlene mentioned Auggie's voice. To hear more of that voice yourself, check out the following video:

Don't forget to pre-order the book! Anyone who pre-orders will automatically be entered to win a signed bookplate. Email writehollyschindler (at) yahoo (dot) com to tell me you've ordered.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

By now, it's not news at all that we're having an utterly rotten winter here in the Ozarks. But I just can't seem to bring myself to take pictures of the massive inches of snow or the icicles hanging off the house. It's evidence of melting—the sight of the ground poking through the white stuff—that makes me want to break out the camera.

I think I just prefer the look of a good thaw...I like the look of a cold, hard time giving way to a warmer season...

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About Me

I think the first thing I ever did in life was grab a pen and a cup of coffee...I love my caffeine, but I'm addicted to literature—reading and writing it. I'm the author of both critically acclaimed traditionally published and Amazon bestselling independently published works for readers of all ages. I'm owned by a Pekingese named Jake, and can be found writing my next book in my hometown of Springfield, Missouri. The full list of my awards and published books can be found at HollySchindler.com

Princess Leftover

PLAY IT AGAIN

GOT E-COPIES OF MY BOOKS?

THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY (MG Contemporary)

WORDQUAKE

THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY TEASER TRAILER

AN "AUGGIE-STYLE" TRAILER FOR THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY

THE JUNCTION SNEAK PEEK!

FERAL (YA Psychological Thriller)

RESPONSE TO FERAL:

"Opening with back-to-back scenes of exquisitely imagined yet very real horror, Schindler's third YA novel hearkens to the uncompromising demands of her debut, A Blue So Dark...This time, the focus is on women's voices and the consequences they suffer for speaking...This is a story about reclaiming and healing, a process that is scary, imperfect, and carries no guarantees." - PUBLISHERS WEEKLY STARRED REVIEW

"In the town of Peculiar, the cats aren't the only ones keeping secrets...A dark and creepy psychological who-done-it that will keep you guessing until the very end." - Jody Casella, author of THIN SPACE

"Wow! This book starts off with a bang - two of them, actually - and then it sinks its claws into you and never lets go." - April Henry, New York Times-bestselling author

FERAL TRAILER

PRAISE FOR THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY

"Axioms like 'One man's trash is another man's treasure' and 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder' come gracefully to life in Schindler's tale about the value of hard work and the power of community…Auggie's enthusiasm and unbridled creativity are infectious, and likeminded readers will envy her creative partnership with [her grandfather] Gus." – Publishers Weekly

“Determined to save her home, Auggie [uses] pottery shards, vivid glass, and metal sculptures [to] transform the house’s exterior into a vibrant expression of the love within its walls. In Auggie, Schindler creates a spunky, sympathetic character young readers will engage with and enjoy.” – The Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Book Studies

“The protagonist perches in the reader’s heart as she goes about trying to “‘discover her shine.’” - NY Journal of Books

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LISTEN TO AN EXCERPT OF PLAYING HURT

PLAYING HURT

PLAYING HURT TRAILER

OR READ IT YOURSELF - PLAYING HURT EXCERPT

Click the cover to start reading!

LOVE FOR PLAYING HURT

Schindler's "excellent" second novel "explore[s] the sometimes painful, sometimes passionate road to healing."—Brian Katcher, author of ALMOST PERFECT“The summer romance between Chelsea and Clint is so steamy that PLAYING HURT could easily become this decade’s version of DIRTY DANCING.”—Kim Tomsic at Bookshelf Detective

“A delicious, tantalizing love story that will captivate you until the final, satisfying sigh.”—Kristin Walker, author of A MATCH MADE IN HIGH SCHOOL

PLAYING HURT REVIEWS

“Both heartbreaking and thrilling…the book speaks to personal struggles and triumphs and the ability of the human spirit to heal. PLAYING HURT is a good read.”—VOYA

“The closing staccato chapters play out like the final minutes of a close game…Supporting characters, especially Chelsea's bass-playing younger brother, are all well drawn. With its rural setting and flirty competitive training scenes, this sexy summer romance will appeal to fans of Catherine Gilbert Murdock’s ‘Dairy Queen’ series.”—School Library Journal

“With no slick, happily-ever-after ending, this novel will capture teens with the characters’ guilt, anger, and, especially, the intensity of the young people’s connection.”—Booklist

MY DEBUT, A BLUE SO DARK

A BLUE SO DARK TRAILER

LISTEN TO A READING OF A BLUE SO DARK

OR READ IT YOURSELF - A BLUE SO DARK EXCERPT

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A BLUE SO DARK AWARDS

* One of Booklist's Top 10 First Novels for Youth

* Silver Medal, ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year

* Gold Medal IPPY Award Winner

REVIEWS FOR MY DEBUT, A BLUE SO DARK

"Breathtakingly, gut-wrenchingly authentic...A haunting, realistic view of the melding of art, creativity, and mental illness and their collective impact on a young person’s life."—Booklist, starred review

"Any story about mental illness will not be an easy read, but a very good one will reward those who stick with it. A BLUE SO DARK definitely falls in that category, so powerful is the empathy the author has built for her main character.—School Library Journal

"An excellent first novel—a definite must-read. Schindler's debut novel is a lyrical tapestry...a work of poetry."—VOYA

ADDITIONAL PRAISE FOR A BLUE SO DARK

"A BLUE SO DARK is a raw, compelling and eloquent portrayal of art and madness, and the freeing, healing gift of creativity. Schindler's voice is brilliant and true."—Carrie Jones, New York Times bestselling author of NEED and CAPTIVATE"Schindler's lyrical debut explores the nightmare of mental illness in a voice that is sharp and funny and all her own. This is as real as teen fiction gets. A must-read."—Crissa-Jean Chappell, author of TOTAL CONSTANT ORDER

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JAKE

...Wondering when she'll finally push herself away from the desk so we can go for our walk...